Armand François Léon de Wailly (28 July 1804 – 25 April 1864) was a 19th-century French

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

, adaptor and

translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''trans ...

Biography

Born into a family of writers and academics, graduated from the

École des chartes École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * Éco ...

, Léon de Wailly became a close friend of

Alfred de Vigny Alfred Victor, Comte de Vigny (; 27 March 1797 – 17 September 1863) was a French poet and early French Romanticism, Romanticist. He also produced novels, plays, and translations of Shakespeare. Biography Vigny was born in Loches (a town to wh ...

and worked as private secretary for .''Correspondance d'Alfred de Vigny: août 1830-septembre 1835'', 1989, PUF, (p. 555) He became known for his numerous translations of English writers (poetry) and his collaboration with P. J. Stahl in the adaptation of British classics (including

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Gustave de Wailly Gabriel Gustave de Wailly (13 June 1804 – 27 April 1878) was a 19th-century French playwright and Latinist. Léon de Wailly was his brother. Biography Brought up in a family of writers and academics, master of requests at the Conseil d'État ...

was his brother.

Works

*1825: ''Le Mort dans l’embarras'', comédie nouvelle, in 3 acts and in verse, with

*1834: ''

Benvenuto Cellini Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...

'', opera in 2 acts, libretto with

Henri Auguste Barbier Henri Auguste Barbier (29 April 1805 – 13 February 1882) was a French dramatist and poet. Barbier was born in Paris, France. He was inspired by the July Revolution and poured forth a series of eager, vigorous poems, denouncing the evils of the ...

and Alfred de Vigny, music by

Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

*1838: ''Angelica Kauffmann'' *1844: ''L’Héritage de vie'' *1848: ''Pensées morales et maximes'' *1854: ''Stella et Vanessa'' *1855: ''L'oncle Tom'', drama in 5 acts and 9 tableaux *1860: ''Les Deux filles de M. Dubreuil'' *1862: ''Le Doyen de Saint-Patrick'' (drama in 5 acts, in prose with

Louis Ulbach Louis Ulbach (7 March 182216 April 1889) was a French novelist, essayist and journalist. He published seventy-six volumes, wrote three plays, and wrote numerous articles and political or biographical pamphlets. His romantic novels were compared t ...

)

Translations

He translated works from

Matthew Gregory Lewis Matthew Gregory Lewis (9 July 1775 – 16 May 1818) was an English novelist and dramatist, whose writings are often classified as "Gothic horror". He was frequently referred to as "Monk" Lewis, because of the success of his 1796 Gothic novel ' ...

(''

The Monk ''The Monk: A Romance'' is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796 across three volumes. Written early in Lewis's career, it was published anonymously when he was 20. It tells the story of a virtuous Catholic monk who give ...

''),

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English writer and magistrate known for the use of humour and satire in his works. His 1749 comic novel ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'' was a seminal work in the genre. Along wi ...

(''

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', often known simply as ''Tom Jones'', is a comic novel by English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. It is a ''Bildungsroman'' and a picaresque novel. It was first published on 28 February 1749 in ...

''),

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

(''Poésies complètes''),

Laurence Sterne Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 – 18 March 1768) was an Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric. He is best known for his comic novels ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' (1759–1767) and ''A Sentimental Journey Thro ...

(''

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'', also known as ''Tristram Shandy'', is a humorous novel by Laurence Sterne. It was published in nine volumes, the first two appearing in 1759, and seven others following over the next sev ...

'') and also

Fanny Burney Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post of "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Mecklen ...

(''

Evelina ''Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World'' is a novel written by English author Frances Burney and first published in 1778. Although published anonymously, its authorship was revealed by the poet George Huddesford in ...

'').

Adaptations

* ''Mary Bell, William et Lafaine. La vie des enfants en Amérique'', Adapted from English by P.-J. Stahl and de Wailly, Hetzel, 1895 * ''Les Vacances de Riquet et de Madeleine'', Adapted from English by P.-J. Stahl and de Wailly, Hetzel, 1908-1909

References

Notes Sources * Balduc, Florian, ed. (2016). ''Fantaisies Hoffmaniennes''. Editions Otrante. * Polet, Jean-Claude, ed. (2000). ''Patrimoine littéraire européen: Index général'' (p. 591). De Boeck. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wailly, Leon de 19th-century French writers French opera librettists English–French translators 1804 births Writers from Paris 1864 deaths 19th-century French translators